Once upon a very long time ago England used to come to Cardiff and lose. It was at time of inefficiency and eccentricity in that the Welsh always believed that England never managed to select their best team. It was always the belief in Wales that if England one day got their selection right they would be an awesome force.

Well, that day has arrived. England do not even need to send their full strength side into Wales any more. This was a consummate performance by Clive Woodward's second string. The coach had delivered a warning in the week that any lapses by his players might cost them a ticket to Australia. He now has a wonderful problem of having too many first-class players on his books. How can he possibly leave out any of this lot?

At the same time as the England coach was being menacingly positive his counterpart in Wales, Steve Hansen, was being grouchy. The nearest thing there is to a rugby debate in Wales about anything other than bankruptcy concerned the issue of whether the result is more important than the performance. It is one of those pedantic discussions of interest only to people up to their neck in trouble. For the record, Wales neither got the result or the performance. So, it's all a bit academic anyway.

With the World Cup fast approaching England have taken a another massive step forward. If any of their forwards who outgunned the All Blacks and Wallabies in the summer is injured then they can slot in any one of the forwards who demolished Wales yesterday. They were solid at the set piece and wheeled Wales all around the Millennium Stadium to make their defence duties so much easier.

The front five all built on the solid platform by running around in the loose and enjoying gallops up the middle and even out wide. The back row was superb in their support work and looked even more comfortable with the ball in hand.

Outside, the performance was not quite so emphatic. Alex King showed some deft touches with his feints and footwork, but had an indifferent day with his place kicking converting five of his 11 attempts. Dan Scarbrough at full-back was full of imagination and confidence but nearly landed his side in trouble - a rare bit of trouble, it has to be said - by lobbing a pass out of a tackle to nobody in particular in his own 22.

If it seems improper to pick on a player winning his first cap it is only because England were so good that their mistakes were few and far between.

Talking of mistakes, only brings the conversation round to Wales. Even before the forwards were so suffocated that they could produced no ball at all, the Welsh threequarters were already squandering what scraps came their way. They tried to flick passes out of the tackle but time after time their attempts to be extravagant only lead to a turnover.

If Scarbrough's mistake was a rare blot on the England side, then Rhys Williams was a rare plus on the Welsh side. And even then the fullback could only blossom while he had some ball in open play to run back at England. Which meant that he sparkled in the first half-hour. By the end of the game Wales' one bright runner was as subdued as everybody else.

To be fair to Wales they trailed by seven points at half-time, conceding only one try in the first half. This was a straight set-piece move: a line-out and drive with Jason Leonard, the captain and winner of a 104th cap, hauling Lewis Moody over the line.

King dropped a neat goal to keep the scoreboard ticking over in the absence of tries, just to keep his forwards happy, but there were few signs of the rout to come.

King lost his touch with the boot at the start of the second half and just for a moment it seemed that all the good work of the English pack might be in vain. But it rarely happens like that and soon the scoring spree began.

Wales went from an attacking five-metre scrum to their own try-line as they were out-muscled and driven back. The abrupt change of fortune reached its climax with Dan Luger stretching out a long arm for the line. If that try was the result of pressure and sweeping motion the length of the field, the next try was set piece simplicity. Just to show Wales how a a five-metre scrum could operate England quarter-turned one of their own, allowing Joe Worsley to break early and cross almost unchallenged.

Stuart Abbott was anther new cap in the England centre, a leggy blond alongside the squat Jamie Noon. It was a new combination but one which looked entirely natural. Abbott celebrated his first day of international rugby by finishing off a move that was another glittering example of passing dexterity.

For the final try England returned to their set-piece bullying. Danny Grewcock won a five-metre line-out and Dorian West went from being the thrower to the scorer as he joined them all and steered it all the way to the line.

Players under pressure to make the cut often forget the unit skills and go for individual broke. Well, there were some fantastic individual performances - by Simon Shaw, Worsley and Mark Regan while he lasted - nobody in this England side forgot that teamwork had to come first.

What a fantastic position to be in, to know that everyone of your highly talented squad is busting his gut for the collective cause. How dismal it must be to know that on the Welsh side the individual spirit is almost completely shattered and the collective will expressed itself only as a mass lowering of the heads as the Welsh players left the field.

Two countries are heading for the World Cup, but on this form Wales won't be staying long. England on the other hand had better make plans for the full works.